Netanyahu picks Eli Sharvit as Shin Bet head despite court block

Shafaq News/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed former navy commander Eli Sharvit as the next head of the ISA (Shin Bet), his office announced Monday, despite the Supreme Court halting the dismissal of the incumbent.

Sharvit served in the military for 36 years, including five years as navy commander. “In that position, he led the force building of the maritime defense of the territorial waters and conducted complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," his office said in a statement.

Netanyahu’s government moved to remove agency chief Ronen Bar on March 21, citing an "ongoing lack of trust." However, following petitions from Israel’s opposition and a non-governmental organization, the Supreme Court blocked Bar's dismissal, affirming that the freeze would remain until the appeals are heard before April 8.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara had declared immediately after the March 21 ruling that Netanyahu was "prohibited" from appointing a new Shin Bet chief. Nevertheless, the PM argued that his government has the authority to decide on the appointment.

Bar’s tensions with the Netanyahu government escalated after he blamed the administration for the security failures leading to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The strain deepened amid a Shin Bet investigation into a case known in media reports as "Qatargate," involving alleged covert payments to a Netanyahu aide from Qatar.